Leeds Cares have used £35,000 of funding from the national Covid-19 appeal to fund bedside media services for hundreds of patients. The grant was provided in early April, allowing Leeds Cares to fund free TV and phone calls through bedside units for all adult wards at both St James University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary.

Jess Farman, Senior Sister on one of the wards, said the service had been fantastic: “It has meant our patients have been able to speak to their families daily without having to use mobile phones. As a lot of our patients are elderly or came in acutely they don’t have a phone with them so has made contacting family so much easier. It has also meant the staff are not having to spend their time having 3 way conversations between family and patients, which has saved staff valuable time and also made a better patient experience.”

Ordinarily, the bedside media service, provided by Hospedia, can cost patients up to £7 a day to use.

Hear more from Leeds Hospitals Chief Executive Julian Hartley: